Hi Yelp! I am very excited to post this review of Culinary Staffing Services (CSS). First and foremost, the Staff if welcoming, friendly, accessible, efficient, and very competent. This is a hyper-professional outfit that cares about clients and employees; and it shows from the moment you walk in the door to asking a question about payroll for an amazing event. I'll post my review as a narration of my personal experience. STEP 1: I called to ask about an opportunity to interview with CSS (I'm am an experienced Server, new to the LA area), and was informed on opportunities to interview with them. Efficient and easy. STEP 2: I went to my interview in a full suit, but they were mostly wearing jeans and flannels. The receptionist, Angie, greeted me and assisted me with the application. She epitomizes the definitions of friendly and courteous. Every interaction I have with this Fantastic-4 lady is awesome! STEP 3: The Staffing Manger I met with was Andrew and he was direct but kind, intelligent, and patient. He truly probed and allowed me to express myself to understand my experience, but also intangible qualifications. A strong recruiter that one can count on. STEP 4: Last STEP is that you have to go to an orientation in uniform with appropriate work documents, allow a background check, SSN number check, get your photo taken, and listen to an interactive lecture on policies and guidelines for CSS. David conducted this meeting and like every encounter I've had, he was direct but efficient and friendly. I had 5 jobs scheduled within a week of completing all requirements. I highly recommend this agency for anyone that needs industry temp work. Clients can be assured that they screen employees on multiple levels and are competent to match temp with company. THANKS Y'ALL!! -Brandon read more

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They been sending check to an old address and when I called them they said the next payment was going to be direct deposit but then again they sent checks to the same old address, when I called them to fix the problem they were not pick up the calls , I been having jobs often but not getting paid and when I went to the office because they said that I can pick up my check there they had the office closed and what I was trying to do it was picking up my check then go to the next shift because I didn't have more money they need to work better on customer service read more

I have used them for several events, all levels of service. They are prompt, professional and hardworking. One of the best services in town for the money. read more

My professional opinion. of Culinary Staffing is right on, just another low level agency. They put all these tasks in front of you, you are supplying everything from documents, tools, uniform, background check and not to mention your own transportation, Punch in and out correctly, arrive on time, make sure you take meal break Punch in & out. Then payday comes and nothing but excuses on a 4 day Holiday Weekend, wait another 4 days that's how much of a since of urgency they have. I now know I'm working for the wrong outfit. I said it and you can quote me on that. read more

Wow! After reading a email sent out , this redefines my point .. this is very unprofessional company. read more

Culinary Staffing Service - Employment Agencies Near Me - Los Angeles, California

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So far, I find Culinary Staffing a very good fit for temp staffing for Foodservice; cook, prep cook, plating cook, dishwasher, server, etc. Direct deposit is available AFTER the first paper check, or you can get on a check mail out list for permanent mail out. You MUST monitor the phone app meticulously once in a while, some assignments are gone in less than one minute, really. A good geographic coverage of available jobs. Many long tenured temp personnel, a good sign. Founder is still running the firm. Some nice perks at times, sign up and see. Most clientele seem content with the firm and the people that temp for Culinary Staffing. Just an FYI, their office is 1/2 block from Beverly Hills city limits on Wilshire, but you really never have to go there, unless you want to pick up physical checks. read more

I really enjoy working for the Santa Clarita senior center, though Culinary Staffing. The staff there are very friendly as well as the seniors, we serve lunch too. read more

I have been on a suspension for over 3 weeks. I call and I get no answer. I was sent an alert the day of about an investigation. There was nothing to be investigated. I didn't like that location I was working at. I called to be released from that location because unprofessional comments were being said about me. I was taken off then put right back on, so I didn't go to work. I've been suspended every since. I looked up company policy and seen different suspension lengths, but 3 weeks was the longest. It has been more than 3 weeks and still nothing. July 8th, 2022, it will have been a month. This is very unprofessional and none of my calls are being answered when I call. read more

Pretty bad. Very difficult to get a booking as they go by pretty quick. The office looks like a haven for mice once the lights go off and the service is pretty unprofessional. I gave them my serve-safe certificate when I took the "supposed" culinary test (than any blind monkey can pass), but I was kicked off the system because they never received it; mind you they have stacks of papers everywhere that I am sure it was in there somewhere! I also called in to cancel a job I had signed up for, but because THEY didn't listen to THEIR messages until the following day -I was fired! I called in between the call-in times to cancel, but again.. because they didn't listen to their messages... I was told I didn't call in within the time allowed to cancel. They should've said 'one has to call between a certain amount of time of when WE receive messages." It's been a month since and I still have not received my last paycheck! Dan (the so-called director) said... and I quote, "not sure when it was sent, but it was sent." A month!... A month!! Oh, and the so called culinary student recruiting they do? I worked 2 jobs and the so called students were fill-ins for their family members!! They fill in for the family members as they themselves don't have jobs (or papers to work in the US!!) and since no one bothers to check ID's, anyone can work for anyone basically. Oh, one more thing... orientation? I was never told about any orientation or emergency numbers... that's how efficient they are. read more

After reading the reviews my instinct told me to forget about this place but I was in the area so I stopped by any way...two words, RUDE and SHADY. Dear Miss Attitude at the first desk, I promise you, you are not better then anybody that walks through those front doors. Disclaimer: I was not hired due to lack of experience, which is understandable and I have no problems with the lady that gave the interview, however that does not discount the fact that her assistant was unbelievably rude and that this place seems a bit off somehow. read more

I really enjoyed working for culinary staffing very transparent company have the skills of cooking you will not have a problem with anyone on the point read more

Read some of the reviews and I'm not sure this is the same culinary staffing I know. I landed a job easily as a dishwasher and I even left for a good portion of a year and was welcomed back with open arms and my old job. The system is easy you get emails for new jobs and you sign into their website to pick job sites. You get a lot of emails so my advice is make an email just for this job. Also having a smart phone with Internet makes life easy since you can sign up for jobs right away. Usually I would sign up for work a week in advance but there is always plenty of options. They even give those with felonies or criminal records a chance! You get paid biweekly and you essentially can work when you want where you want! read more

The person I spoke to with this service was condescending, rude, and all about procedures and protocols rather than customer service and human interaction. read more

I just signed up with Culinary Staffing Services, as they have an informal agreement with Le Cordon Bleu to help us student cooks attain kitchen experience. The staff have been nothing but professional and nice. Sign up for temporary, part-time work here if you are front-of- or back-of-house experienced. You will need to come in to apply (takes about 30 minutes), between the hours of 11am - 3pm, Tuesday - Thursday, and then receive a free Orientation Training. I just completed my training and am all signed up in their system. Looking forward to receiving emails of upcoming work opportunities! read more

Culinary Staffing Service - The neon sign's broken but that's the office! - Employment Agencies Near Me - Los Angeles, California

No but seriously now, I LOVE Culinary Staffing!! Exciting gigs, good money; genuine & friendly people. Jobs are endless, and Always in need of fun passionate individuals ready to make it happen!!! read more

This is an amazing organization! The staff is incredibly friendly and helpful! Always great work to sign up for! It's flexible and you get to work with some cool people as well! Highly recommended! read more

I had the wonderful opportunity to work with CSS and their team as a Voice Over artist on their 2020 Human Resources training modules. From first (and consistent) contact with Wendell to hammering out the project details with Jessica, I cannot recommend this team enough. There is a lot of care and heart in this company, and I appreciated their warm and professional communication throughout our 6-week assignment. Wendell went as far as writing me an incredible letter of recommendation after the project was completed, further supporting me on my career endeavors. As someone who has previously been a Recruiter and is on a few staffing rosters herself as a temp. worker, I can say that CSS and their team are the folks you want in your employment corner! read more

It seemed like a lazy-girl paper pushing operation when I applied. The administrative staff appeared weak and slow. If you are capable of intensive labor save yourself. read more

You will not get paid! They withhold checks, spam your email and at the end of the day, are rude to you when you express your concerns. Go with special event staffing or one of the many other options in Los Angeles that pays more. Again, they are highly unprofessional, don't be fooled by how easy it is to get hired. read more

The employees I was around were sick and filthy as is the office. If you don't mind a large gentle dirty dog around. No direct deposit! Obtaining the bi- weekly paper check is at your own risk. The head- hunting staff were sick and sarcastic. They all made me sick, so I quit. No other temporary staffing agency is this disorganized. The guests have no idea how much dirty dog hair I had to avoid sitting on to fill out the job application. The office stench was accentuated by no fresh air circulation. So gagging is the only thing to do as you walk in the door. This intensifies the longer you stay. Good luck to those who benefit from this. read more

One of the best company I worked with for years ! luv the staff They were great keep me working full time year round !

Signed up for a job, called in left a massage but bevause they didn't hear my message I was fired, so I called in for my paycheck for the two days I worked and it been more than a month that I haven't received anything. Worst place to work read more

I used Culinary Staffing to hire a bartender for my husband's birthday party. It wasn't a huge event but I wanted to enjoy the party and not have to keep asking people if they needed a drink. The bartender they assigned me was named Emmanuel. I talked to him a week in advance to make sure I had all the ingredients he would need. He was super knowledgable and helpful. The night of the party he showed up 45 minutes early and set up everything. He was professional, nice, and overall an awesome guy. He was great throughout the night, even going out and picking up two bags of ice when we ran out. When the party was over he stayed and cleaned everything up. I would highly recommend Culinary Staffing. Even for my small event, they got me a super capable, knowledgable, trustworthy, and overall great bartender. Looking forward to getting another bartender from them for my next party! read more

Worked for them was ok. Can fill in the gaps as well or need extra work. It is mostly 1 day work. Really no part time and no full time work. When the moon is green you may get lucky and work longer assignments or work regular. I guess the moon was green for me. There is no parking for the office so beware where u park too. They use a system called staff mate online for u to get your assignment. Good luck trying to work as the shift are gone even before they post it seems like it. It is probably because there are a lot of employees that work there. It it is good work for servers because there is a lot of opportunities and now they offer server training class that you can take. I don't understand why people say it was shady it is a legit business. The staff that works there have been nice to me and polite. read more

I signed up with this service because of a personal journey and Culinary Staffing came recommended to me by a friend I trust. First off, this is a job opportunity for anyone in need or with little motivation to comb trough the job market themselves. They have a pretty simple set of rules and Staffing employees run their office like any agency. For all the confused comments below; the office looks and is run like any modeling agency getting you back onto the job market - it is not a Beverly Hills Beauty Parlor...smiles This is intended as a service for Culinary students and anyone with a Gastronomy talent/experience to step into the job market. Their Clientelle ranges from private event coordinators, to fancy banquette organizers and include lots of high-end Hotels in immediate need to fill chef-help positions, waiters or bartenders. If you aim for anything "higher" based on your qualification, you should contact a headhunter and have a resume that reflects the genius you are! I had a wonderful two-week experience with Staffing Service. Yes, some phone calls are "to the point" because they are busy adjusting hundreds of job-positions per day and Staffing employees will amend your schedule if possible. (If you need soul comfort, call a buddy...) It requires you to be swift when signing up on their website job-calendar and during a very friendly orientation you will receive all info needed to manage any emergency changes. Payment is professionally calculated by a Gov. respected payment service and yes - if you aim for a "better pay for less work" you do not belong in the hotel-workforce. Being a chef all my life, this is a hands-on job. It's great fun and as I can personally state: the multitude of clients I worked with was a fun adventure. I learned a ton and worked with some fun characters from various culinary schools. If there are jobs schedules you did not like during a shift, just don't sign up with them again: You do have choices. Just bite through the day, after all - signing up with Staffing Service in the first place indicates you are about to change your life to the better; Partake in this duty! They are a perfect service for anyone in need of work! Uh, btw, no - I am not an employee of Staffing Service - I'm really a chef that experienced their services and I had a jolly time! Hint: When you see peeps writing "only negative" reviews on sites, they might be unbalanced in general. read more

The best catering company I've ever worked for. Amazing staff and top of the line clients.

I've worked for them for almost a year now as a bartender and server, and always have work coming my way. I've read some of the reviews on here, and they are the opposite of my experience. The one drawback would be that when they do send out a general job e-mail, it does fill up fast, but that's LA for you! Over the last year I've worked for 5 catering/staffing companies, some that pay more and some that pay less. All of them have offices that are not impressive, and the process of getting hired and paid has always been a hassle. There are a lot of hoops, laws, and regulations to go/jump through in California and LA. As for canceling a job and getting through when you call, it's a staffing company.. Most busy jobs don't have time to check all their calls immediately; they are on the phone all day long. And replacing someone for a catered event is a pain, the event has so many elements, and they expect the hired staff to show up and work hard. It's about the client (like the bride at a wedding, or the president of Fox at a studio event, not about a part time server...) No one wants to deal with replacements. They make it very clear that it's better to not accept a shift if you can't work it. Much of this type of work doesn't even have an online system, so they are ahead of the curve in that capacity. They have always been kind to me, and given me a lot of work. It's really up to an employee how far they get, not their boss. Their only drawback would be that there is better money to be made in LA, but that would be for an actual catering company. Most "staffing" companies are toward the bottom of the barrel pay-wise. Also, it can be frustrating when the jobs fill up so quickly, but from what I hear, you can always call in or go in and ask for upcoming work. Again, it's kinda in your hands how far you go. I'd recommend them for work, and as a service to a client. read more

Not a great place to work. You get tons of emails but the positions are filled before you get them, the positions themselves are not great compared to other agencies, pay is poor, on-site organization not so great. The worst part is signing up for one job and being assigned another. There are numerous situations where someone is hired as a bartender or server but then given the job to bus tables at a lower pay rate, or similar situations. Shady! Don't waste your time working for them and if you are looking for servers, go elsewhere. read more

One of the worst places to work....they have a roster of thousands of people that they haul in from the street...they send out job announcements electronically and they are filled before you even get the email. The amount of money they paid me didn't even cover the costs of my uniform. And the manager Alicia is a real (insert derogatory word here)...not the type of person you want to work or be in business with...she somehow fell into the position when Scott left. read more

I worked for them, and several other catering companies. Culinary is by far the worst, and lowest paying. Their clients are unprofessional and talk down to the staff. One of their clients is the Anthenaeum Club. The manager there is Morello. He's the most ignorant, unprofessional manager I've ever worked for. Very rude and condescending. A couple other culinary clients are the same. This company is even worse than party staff. The pay is horrible, and they expect you to take abuse from certain clients that are known to abuse staff. read more

I want to start by saying that everyone in the office at Culinary is extremely nice and helpful. I cannot imagine why they would get bad reviews, unless the people who give them bad reviews are bad workers and are just trying to retaliate. I have been with Culinary for a few months now, and I love them. They always get me work and are very professional. If anything changes in my schedule, they make sure to find something else for when I am free. Randy has been amazing. She always has a positive demeanor and smiles when I come in. Dan is really the best. He is on top of everything that happens, and makes sure that everyone who wants to work gets work. There have been a few people who I've seen slack off while I'm working, and they give Culinary Staffing a bad name. They do not represent the work ethic. And in fact, they were given a few chances to make up for their sloppy behavior, because the people at Culinary are nice enough to give people second chances, something that is rare these days. Alicia is also very nice and very supportive and is really sweet. My experience there is always pleasant and I know that I will be working with them for a long time. Good job guys! Keep up the good work! read more